Evidence for heavy ion emission of U-230

Radioisotope of Pa-230 was synthesized by proton irradiation of ThO2 powder targets with thickness of about 2g/cm(2). Pure Pa-230 was extracted and de ep purified from thorium and fission products by the radiochemical method. Thin Pa-230 beta(-)/--> U-230 sources were prepared for measuring the clust er decay of U-230. Two cases of decay via heavy ion emission, which were mo st probably for the neon decays of U-230, were detected by using solid-stat e track registration detectors. The preliminary branching ration relative t o alpha-decay comes out to be (1.3 +/- 0.8) x 10(-14).